Hour photo / Erik Trautmann Noelia Ramos and Jordan Chenchella look over books dontaed by the South Norwalk Branch Library during the Bouton Street block party Saturday where school supplies donated by Staples and The Hour were given to neighborhood children.

Hour photo / Erik Trautmann Noelia Ramos and Jordan Chenchella look over books dontaed by the South Norwalk Branch Library during the Bouton Street block party Saturday where school supplies donated by Staples

Hour photo / Erik Trautmann Joe Langley cooks up hot dogs during the Bouton Street block party Saturday where school supplies donated by Staples and The Hour were given to neighborhood children.

Hour photo / Erik Trautmann Joe Langley cooks up hot dogs during the Bouton Street block party Saturday where school supplies donated by Staples and The Hour were given to neighborhood children.

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Hour photo / Erik Trautmann John Garcia, 6, colors a craft mask during the Bouton Street block party Saturday where school supplies donated by Staples and The Hour were given to neighborhood children.

Hour photo / Erik Trautmann John Garcia, 6, colors a craft mask during the Bouton Street block party Saturday where school supplies donated by Staples and The Hour were given to neighborhood children.

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South Norwalk neighbors organize school supply giveaway

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NORWALK -- What began four years ago with a handful of Bouton Street neighbors ensuring that the neighborhood children there started the school year fully-equipped to learn, has blossomed into a massive Saturday block party with a purpose.

"We were having a cookout in the yard about four years ago and we were talking about ways to give back to our community," said organizer Taka Ragin, a Norwalk native and mother of three.

When Ragin and her friends: Joe Langley, Germaine Gist, Celeste Ragin and Ragin's daughter Tasha Boyd realized that many neighborhood kids were recycling the prior year's school supplies, they sprung into action to help.

"We noticed that kids were starting school with last year's supplies and so we bought them new supplies out of our own pockets for the first two years," Ragin said. "The first year we bought supplies for about 50 kids and the back-to-school event has grown so much with donations that this year we are passing out supplies for 200 kids."

More than a school supply giveaway for the area children, the block party atmosphere included hamburgers and hot dogs crackling on the grills, young children having their faces painted, DJ Tony Ragin regaling the neighborhood with music, and Norwalk Fire Department firefighters giving tours of a firetruck.

"The first year we did this, we would meet at someone's house and everyone would bring a dish from their culture," Ragin said. "After that, it just kept getting bigger and bigger. It's our way of helping the kids and helping the people in the community get to know one another."

One donor Bill Manjuck, who co-owns Marman Woodwork with Vincent Marmo, has generously donated to the block party.

"We donated 200 hamburgers and hot dogs for the block party," Manjuck said "We do this for the kids and the community to have a good day together."

Ragin said that a contingent of donors made the block party and back to school giveaway possible.

"Staples donated the binders, The Hour Newspaper donated money for supplies, the cabinet maker donated food, and T.M. Ward Coffee Shop donated soda," Ragin said. "The South Norwalk Library will be passing out books to the kids also. This event has grown so much with all of the help we've gotten."

The neatly-organized school supplies included: packets of binders, crayons, markers, and colored pencils for elementary school children; binders, notebooks, pens and pencils, eraser, crayons, and glue stick for middle school children; and the high school age packet included binder, folders, notebooks, pens and pencils.